On the afternoon of April 25, Wenzhou Medical University held the 2024 Internationalization Work Conference. Lan Jingjing, director of the International Cooperation and Exchanges Division (Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Cooperation and Exchanges Office) of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education, was invited to deliver a special report. Wang Junhong, deputy secretary of the CPC WMU Committee, made a speech. Zhu Xuebo, member of the CPC WMU Committee and vice president, presided over the meeting.

Lan Jingjing analyzed the current situation of higher education globalization and put forward specific suggestions on the internationalization work of our university from the aspects of "competition and cooperation," "opportunities and challenges," "quality and win-win," and "development and security." She affirmed WMU’s accomplishments in internationalization and encouraged WMU to grasp the overall situation of education development, seize the development opportunities in the new era, boost innovative development through "going out" and "bringing in", continue to improve international cooperation in medical education, and contribute to the construction of a high-quality development platform for education opening up in our province and Zhejiang’s practice of the "two pioneers."

In his speech, Wang Junhong emphasized the need to promote the university’s internationalization work with a more open-minded, pragmatic, and innovative approach. Firstly, we need to accurately identify changes and respond to current opportunities and challenges with an international and open mindset. Secondly, it is necessary to actively respond to the changes and support the high-quality development of our university in the new era with internationalization mechanisms. The third is to take the initiative to drive changes and form a strategic internationalization plan with WMU’s characteristics to contribute to Zhejiang’s education development. He proposed that we should adhere to the "four strengthening": strengthening the leadership of the Party, strengthening synergy, strengthening innovation and change, and strengthening bottom-line thinking. He also urged teachers and staff to achieve the "four more" to advance WMU’s internationalized education: the school-running structure more open, the integration of science and education between China and foreign countries more efficient, the internationalized education model more diversified, and the medical and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries closer.

In her closing remarks, Zhu Xuebo pointed out that adhering to internationalized education is crucial to serving national strategies, the construction of a "double first-class" university, and the growth of teachers and students. She hoped this meeting could inspire unity, enhance confidence, and form a joint force across the university. She urged all WMUers to explore, innovate, take actions, plan for the high-quality development of our university from a higher starting point, and make greater contributions to building a high-level medical university, creating an important window of higher education in Zhejiang, and making Zhejiang a province strong in education.

At the meeting, heads and representatives from various schools and departments, including the International Affairs Office (Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs), Graduate School, School of International Studies, Alberta Institute, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of the First Clinical Medical Sciences (School of Information and Engineering) and the First Affiliated Hospital, School of the Second Clinical Medical Scienecs, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, and School of Ophthalmology and Optometry (School of Biomedical Engineering) and the affiliated Eye Hospital, shared their practical experiences and insights on internationalization.

Text translated by Cai Lingchen and reviewed by Sun You